"It's all about taking action."-Darlene Lancer

Just as how a plant withers or thrives by its roots, addiction can blossom or die by its core. However, you could do something about it. A lawyer turned Marriage and Family Therapist shares her experiences and expertise about co-dependency and labelling. Darlene Lancer, digs to the root of two of the ramifications of addiction to help families and individuals attain healing.

Conversely though, when things get messed up, it's often hard to let go especially if emotions pull you like magnet. Nevertheless, for you and your family to thrive, there is something you must uproot. Join in to their conversation as Jeff and Darlene uncover the mysteries and false facts that surrounds co-dependency and labelling. As the words quoted above suggest, your happiness is yours, but, "it's all about taking action."

Get the show notes, transcription and resources mentioned at

http://thefamilyrecoverysolution.com/

Highlights:

02:50 Changing Careers

03:56 The Less Talked Terms

05:00 Dreams Awaken

07:13 The Evolution of Codependency

12:00 A Different Approach to Healing

15:19 The Labelling Stigma

20:00 Where To Focus

25:21 Let Go of Codependency-Reconnect to Your Innate Self

"Keep loving your kids; love yourself. It's not easy, but don't think you're failing if you can't have a moment in a room with your son." –Barbara Straus Lodge

They say a mother's love is the purest love on earth. But, can that love prevail when addiction creates a barrier between a mother and her child? Listen to the story of Barbara Straus Lodge.

Barbara is a writer and an activist and her works revolve around addiction and recovery. She is also the Vice President of Above the Noise Foundation, a foundation that funds addiction-stricken communities by hosting music festivals. She also founded TruthTalks™, a workshop that helps families understand what's going on in the mind and heart of their loved one who has a substance-use disorder. Currently, she is working to pass a bill on selling Nitrous Oxide, a gas that has been used as a recreational drug since the 1700s. Learn why she is so determined to win this fight.

Today's episode is more than just a heart-warming story of a mother's love. Behind all the emotions are a real reason for parents to be cautious. If you have seen canisters in your kid's trash, be alarmed. Know what they are and how they can affect your child. But, what if your child has already been pulled deep into the abyss of addiction? Learn how love and understanding play a major part in rebuilding the trust and ties that has been broken by the addiction barrier. As the words above suggest, parents fail if they stopped trying to reach out to their child. Communication is essential, but in a stress-filled home, it might seem impossible. So here are some tips on how to improve your communication and start reconnecting with each other. As our guest said, 'It's all about your kid.' Save them while you still can.

Get the show notes, transcription and resources mentioned at

http://thefamilyrecoverysolution.com/

Highlights:

03:22 Barbara Five Years Ago

06:46 Ask and Listen

10:00 The Writer Within

11:58 An Under the Radar Drug

17:16 Warning Signs!

22:47 Truth Talks

38:38 Breaking the Addiction Barrier

41:26 It's All About Your Kid

"But I would say a lot of intuitive knowing; a lot of deep knowing has sort of been lost. And so it's helpful to remember and to plug back into how we came into being and what is really embedded in our sequence. Because from there are the tools for healing."

Karen Strange is a Certified Professional Midwife and an instructor at the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP). Basically, her job is to educate midwifes about the latest techniques in birthing children. She also founded a workshop on neonatal resuscitation. But, why would there be an instructor for neonatal resuscitation in a podcast for families with addiction? Well, let our guest tell you the secret around your birth.

To know how to proceed, one must know where he came from. Karen's words above give a glimpse of why this topic is essential. An individual's personality is shaped as soon as we breathe life. Learn how one's conception and birth has a bearing on one's predisposition to addiction. And even if many unplanned events happened around this time where we didn't have control, find out how 'repair' can still be done in order to attain this elusive healing. Today's episode will bring you back to your memory that only your infant self can remember.

Get the show notes, transcription and resources mentioned at

http://thefamilyrecoverysolution.com/

Highlights:

04:59 An instructor for Neonatal Resuscitation in a Family with Addiction Podcast

10:53 How the Mother's Emotional World Shapes Personality

17:33 Two Layers of Support- Essential for Healthy Neonatal Development

22:59 Our Implicit Memory

27:30 Repair of the Unplannned

30:33 The Birth Sequence

37:29 The Pacing Where Healing Occurs

46:20 Aware of How We Are In the Inside

"You deserve results…It's not your fault if you're not getting better. There's a hope for you. Keep searching, keep looking, never give up the answers… We are all working on this for you. And we will deliver answer soon." -Dr. Meredith Sagan

An alarming issue has emerged in 2019! Dr. Meredith Sagan, the Founder of MindAlign Institute, has come across this human problem in her 20 years of research on human intelligence. And the rate to where we're going in this artificial world is rapidly ravaging us since 2018.

A medical doctor and a holistic psychiatrist by profession, Dr. Meredith Sagan is a woman of varied career. She went in a child fellowship to residential treatment, behavioral health and a private practice. She has travelled around the world for many years to learn about human intelligence and the root causes of human problems. Join her in her quest as she shares with you her research and how her MindAlign method can help you with the struggles you are battling with right now.

Nobody knows how fast our world would change and what changes to expect. However, we know that our story us humans is colored with both brightness and darkness. Facing the dark side alone guarantees defeat. But Dr. Sagan's words above echo a hope for many. So today's episode especially highlights the trend that our world is in right now, especially at the start of 2018. Learn what causes the disorientation we experience, the many consequences that comes along with it and how this can be reversed. Also, find out how the MindAlign Method works and how to stay empowered when all your resources get exhausted. Take part in this enlightening conversation and pick rare insights along the way.

Get the show notes, transcription and resources mentioned at

http://thefamilyrecoverysolution.com/

Highlights:

03:29 A Woman of Varied Careers

06:12 Living in an Artificial World- The 2018 Massive Role Reversal

11:31 Social Media and Disorientation

19:20 The Family Structure in a 'No Rules' Era

24:31 Healing by Letting the Stigma Go

30:29 20 Years of Study on Mindfulness

34:42 The MindAlign Method

37:05 How to Stay Empowered When Resources Get Exhausted

"I think it's important that teens have some kind of role model… somebody in their life that believes in them."-Kim Thompson

Sometimes, the harder we hide something, the more painful it becomes- both to the person hiding it and to the ones it was hidden from. This is what happened to our guest, Kim Thomson. Her teenage years was marked with unaddressed questions and emotions that became an empty space, which she constantly tried to fill in. But the path she walked expanded that empty space instead. Now an adult, she came to realize the words above, moving her to make it her mission to help teens of families with addiction. She is the owner of the Colorado Teen and Family Center and she also serves as a Family Program Educator at CeDAR UCHealth. As her story unfolds, discover what lies behind every secret and why changing this culture can help save both your teens and your family.

We know that communication in the family is an essential ingredient in maintaining harmonious and happy relationships. Sometimes, however, older members choose to keep their mouth shut on certain things, assuming that the younger members don't have to know about it. It maybe for protecting the kids from pain or protecting themselves from the pain of having to face the truth. But in reality, nobody's protecting anybody. Teens can sense if there's something going on. Keeping secrets from them is teaching them to keep secrets from you. So for today's episode, learn how secrets in the family, especially the 'addiction secret', can cause enduring suffering to your teens. See how you can shield them from the adverse consequences that their suffering can lead them to. Taste the joy of helping your teens find their own role and place in the family. Build bridges and create the right meaning together before you get caught in the cycle of belief system. Feel your emotions as a family. Meanwhile, our guest will also introduce a program that can help teenagers deal with their thoughts and emotions. Hear more of these topics from today's podcast.

Get the show notes, transcription and resources mentioned at

http://thefamilyrecoverysolution.com/

Highlights:

04:01 Igniting the Passion

09:28 The Belief System Cycle

12:49 Falling to Adverse Defensive Coping Mechanisms

15:22 Letting Out the 'Secrets' Sparks Healing

24:11 Building Bridges

29:06 The Trickledown of Addiction

31:25 Program for Teens of Families with Addiction-What's in it?

39:24 Creating a Level of Safety

"How did I do it? Well, I just kept learning and paying attention to my inner emotions … It takes practice." –Dr. Cheryl Scheurer

We all put a fight to live, but not everybody wins. From the moment we start breathing, obstacles, one after another, will tell us to stop. But, as for our guest, she survives the battle with the words quoted above. Be introduced to Dr. Cheryl Scheurer, an accomplished woman of many gifts. She is a doctor in Financial Management, a book author and editor, a minister, a producer and a host. But behind all these successes is a painful past. Addiction and abuse was like a shadow she couldn't run away from. It was there with her family, then with her husband, then with her own daughter. Her story tells the story of many out there who are groaning in pain from the hands of addiction. Allow her to share her story of how she helped herself and how she helps others.

Addiction thrives in troubled conditions and that's exactly where we are. It's terrifying to even think about how many individuals are falling victim to addiction, pulling families further apart. Learn how to gather courage and break the cycle of unhealthy codependency. This way, you may save both yourself and your family. Even if you are alone in your fight, you can get through it by knowing how to manage stress and where to find your threshold of change. Also, turn unconsciousness to consciousness and get past the fear around money. All these and more from today's episode!

Get the show notes, transcription and resources mentioned at

http://thefamilyrecoverysolution.com/

Highlights:

03:28 Cheryl's Fight to Live

09:35 Gathering Up Courage

12:23 Breaking the Cycle of Codependency

19:37 Being a Mom to a Child with Addiction

26:24 Managing Stress

29:37 Helping People Get to Awareness

34:21 Threshold of Change

36:49 Helping People Get Past the Fear Around Money

"Community heals addiction… addiction hates community." -Michele Ryan

The pain when you see your loved ones suffer from addiction is indescribable. The pain when you can't help them because you are going through it yourself is even worse. While you have exhausted all your means and energy to get rid of your situation, you seem to be digging deeper down that abyss. The problem? You were fighting the battle alone. But you don't have to. Michele Ryan, the Program Director at Behavioral Health Group in Longmont, learned that from experience. Tied up in the chains of addiction for many years and eventually watching her son fall into the same trap, made her feel like she was in a dense, dark forest with no way out. Allow her to share her own recovery journey and how the community has helped her along the way.

"Addiction is not a moral failing… it's a brain disease." (Jeff Jones) The problem sometimes, is when people think that it isn't. Then, medication is left out of the picture. This becomes problematic soon when overconfidence takes over, leading the person to believe the greatest lie: One won't hurt- one drink, one pill. And then eventually, you're caught in the same trap again. But, all of these can be avoided with the right perspective and a healthy dose of medication. Learn more about Medically Assisted Treatment (MAT) and its benefits as opposed to Abstinence-based Approach. Many are skeptical about this but it's also good to know the common misconceptions on MAT before disregarding it entirely. Also, consider the factors that contribute to its effectiveness. There is however, one area which MAT cannot reach yet: the Meth epidemic. Known by many names, Meth is spreading like a wildfire and is affecting many people at any age, anywhere around the globe. Get a hint on this deathly plague from today's podcast. The truth however is, it's not only Meth or any other drugs or alcohol. There are a lot, in fact, anything can be addictive to a person overwhelmed with pain and sorrows. You were alone when your problems drowned you down. But this time, it's up to you to reach your hand out. This episode can be your guide on how to do that. Surely a good pair of sympathetic ears and a warm pair of hands can lift you up.

Get the show notes, transcription and resources mentioned at

http://thefamilyrecoverysolution.com/

Highlights:

02:38 Medicating Addiction

04:23 Michele: 20 Years in Recovery

06:29 Medically Assisted Treatment (MAT)

09:21 Misconceptions on MAT

13:01 Factors for Efficacy of MAT

16:26 Finding Help

20:04 The Biggest Lie: One Won't Hurt

22:44 The Meth Epidemic

"Recovery is a way of life." –Marie Krebs

Are you looking for an intervention you can trust? Well, you just reached the right corner. No intervention works the same way for everyone and so assessment plays a crucial role. If the intervention seems to intervene blindly to your specific needs, then it probably is no intervention for you. To this end, asking the right question on the onset of mediation is imperative to getting the appropriate type of intervention. So today, let us get a hang on assessment in intervention with our guest, Marie Krebs- the Founder and Principal at Marie Krebs Consulting. As a professional in the addiction field for over a decade, she has already earned numerous trainings and certifications to work with people suffering from addiction and trauma. She is also a licensed professional counsellor and chemical dependency counsellor. Find out what she has to say on how a family can show that they are in solidarity with their loved one.

"Why?"- the hardest of questions yet the key to understanding the deepest of secrets. To be able to draw out water from a deep well, our string must be able to reach the bottom.If the goal of the intervention is just to make the substance or behaviour go away, it is not intervention at all. Therefore, interventionists must know from the standpoint of assessment for it to be truly successful in the long run. We do not want our loved one to revert or switch to a new form of addictive behavior. This podcast is packed with wisdom on that. And while there are hundreds of interventionists out there, caution is strongly recommended. Learn how to spot unscrupulous interventionists and the danger that comes with them. Never underestimate the power of your choice.

Get the show notes, transcription and resources mentioned at

http://thefamilyrecoverysolution.com/

Highlights:

03:51 The Assessment Process

18:33 Within Family Circle

27:22 When Does Recovery Really Begin?

31:54 Experiences: Stepping to Their Own Change Process

43:52 Watch Out for Unscrupulous Interventionists!

"Recovery is a practice of love." -Dr. Michael McGee

Indeed! The one thing that love can change is everything. That is true as well in recovery. Without it, the only change that can happen is from bad to worse. In your journey, have you ever felt that things aren't working out? Maybe our guest, Dr. Michael McGee can help. Growing up in a wounded family with an alcoholic father, an addicted brother and an abusive mother, Dr. Michael McGee felt broken and unloved. To get the love he earnestly desired, he became addicted to achievements, only to find that renouncing his ability to love under this pretence is a dark bottomless pit. His road to recovery brought him to where he is now- the Chief Medical Officer of The Haven, an addictions treatment facility based in California. With over 30 years of serving in the addiction field, he has already done researches that can help in spirituality and recovery. He is also an author and a geriatric, medical and general adult psychiatrist. And today, he's going expand the definition of addiction and recovery in terms of integrating spirituality into modern medical treatment.

Addiction is a disease of habit, gratification and relief- the opposite of love. So in order to maintain our capacity to love and show unconditional kindness we must understand that being behind the eight ball doesn't give us a pass to treat recovery as a hopeless endeavour. This is why, Dr McGee's core principles for family members with a loved one at any stage of addiction or recovery can be a turnaround. Learn more about his six core principles to help get your loved ones sober. As he spills the beans of recovery, do not be surprised by how simple things like keeping yourself safe and maintaining vitality can affect your loved ones. On top of that, know how to properly reinforce a desired behaviour by knowing when to give rewards and when to take them away. Surely, you don't want to shield your loved one from the consequences of their actions as that can thwart any progress you have made. So remember that whatever you do, a combination of hope and a therapeutic dose of pain is a transformative force for healing. Discover why holding them accountable can help them to behave at a level of functioning which they are capable. But of course, when our loved one does not respond favourably to our efforts, it can be a total bummer. Dr. McGee can give us advice in that area too. Also included in our table today: how healers can heal themselves. Don't miss these and other valuable gems inside today's episode.

Get the show notes, transcription and resources mentioned at http://thefamilyrecoverysolution.com/

Highlights:

04:12 50 Cents

09:50 Addiction and How It Consumes the Capacity to Love

19:40 An Advice for Healers

20:59 Six Core Principles to Help Loved Ones Get Sober

31:00 Destigmatizing the Neutral Language of Codependency

"We need to have a space for families to go where they can connect because … the disease lives where there's disconnection." –Denise Klein

There's a great book coming to town! It's called, The Truth About Rehab by Denise Klein, the Co-Owner and CEO of Milestones Ranch Malibu. Denise has been a social worker for nearly 30 years. And what can she say: ""I love what I do." Allow her to tell you more about her book and how it can help everyone, family members and professionals alike. The truth is, a rehab should be more than just a 'rehab'. As quoted above, it is "a space for families to go where they can connect." This new book, written in collaboration with a couple of professionals, features important aspects in rehab; some of which are discussed in this episode.

Countless advertisements entice people with promising guarantees. Doctors, although being in the same field, have differing opinions and interpretations. That's why families get confused in terms of choosing the right interventionist and the proper intervention for their loved one. And once they choose one, each member has to know what really is the family's role in the family transformation. Are they observers? supporters? or are they much more than that? The thing is, healing takes on as a family and not individually. We don't just leave our family members at the treatment center's door, come back in a couple of months and become normal again. So how do we harness the family's strength and resiliency and create this "space" for connections and genuine healing? Finally, we know that after the treatment process, stressors and the possibility of relapse will surround families every second of everyday. So how do we help ourselves and our family member look at personal boundaries and deal with grey areas? Well, we surely do not want to go down a rabbit hole on this one so listen in as we delve harder into these topics. The treatment may have ended but the healing continues. It's a way of life at least from this point on.

Get the show notes, transcription and resources mentioned at

http://thefamilyrecoverysolution.com/

Highlights:

03:47 Thirty years and Still In Love

07:00 The Truth About Rehab

11:08 The Family in Transformation

20:57 Laughing Again

26:52 Dealing with Gray Areas